I've got about $7000 to spent on a first Harley and want to see if I'm on the right track. Handling is really important with any bike I choose and always has been over the 35 years I've ridden on the street. I have road racing experience, ride hard on the street so I prefer good brakes, suspension and handling overall. Yes, I understand HDs are not the best handling bikes out there, but I have other bikes in my garage for the times I want to play racer.

The FXDX or the T-Sport seems to be the ticket with it's fully adjustable suspension, dual piston/dual disc brakes and better ground clearance. The blacked out engine doesn't bother me since I don't care for chrome. The Sportsters' are out since I like to do a 4 or 500 mile day or a couple of thousand mile trips occasionally. Would a stripped down older FL be a better choice?

From what I've been hearing the FXRs had better frames so would updating a later model FXR be the ticket? I'm and ex-MC mechanic so I could do most of mods myself and keep an older bike running.

Any suggestions?

Justfnride

 

i had the same problem when deciding on my first harley.

what it came down to was why would i spend $6-7k on a 20 year old superglide (FXR) when i could spend $7-8k on a 5yr old or less superglide (FXD).

I ended up with a 2008 fxd for $8,500. while people say fxr's were the best handling, i have NO problem scraping pegs at almost any speeds. I don't see how the handling could be much better.

and i know you used to be a mechanic, but regardless surely you'd much rather not have to work on it & just ride if it doesn't need it, right? So, you can't lose with a twin cam bike.

 

Best of both worlds:
http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/1963026073.html
Twin cam FXR

 

If you're looking for casual street riding, with modest power, either will work fine. If you want to tweak the bike to get the best handling and power, the FXR will win except for brakes. Most of the FXR's were single disc in front, I think FXRP's were the only ones with dual.

 

I am sure if you let winter set in a bit and are willing to shop a bit you can find a late model FXD 96" injected twin cam with low mileage for near that kind of money. In Feb and Mar of this year there were 08s going for 8-9k around the States.

 

When I owned my 1988 FXLR,Lowrider Custom,I felt that it was a perfect bike. Then the 1999 FXDX came along, I will never sell my FXDX. Perfect combination as a street cruiser and highway ride.

 

The FXDX was an incredible bike- and, it's possible to take an FXD and start tweakin it to be like the FXDX- and thereby get the 6 speed transmission, fuel injection and stiffened frames on the '06's and up. You can find a nice platform to start making the mods this way... or just buy the '05 FXDX and get the last year production of the best bike ever made by Harley. Good luck. Jay

 

I was in the same boat ....kind of. I have owned fxr's and fxdx's and I could have bought a 2000 duece for a $1000.00 more than the 1993 fxrs-sp that I bought 3 weeks ago but i had my heart set on a fxrs-sport and after 2 yrs of looking at a lot of rough bikes....i got a nice one. This is the 5th fxr I have owned and I am nutts over them..you don't trip over them every day

 

Here's my useless opinion. I got about 10 years of club racing experience (Vintage, SOS and Light Twins) and I've owned '92 FXRS new and now have FXD .....

NO DYNA, even FXDX will handle as well as FXR, but thats correctable.
If you find FXDX at right price, get it. If not, look for FXD. It'll have same steeper rake as DX. Convert it to dual disc with floating rotors (like I'm doing) or just make a bracket to run good 6 piston caliper. No need to tell you about individual braided lines from MC down to calipers....
Race Tech Immulators or Works Performance Cartridge set up (like I just got). Taller adjustable shocks of your choice.
Biggest difference between DYNA and FXR is motor mounts. FXR was mounted like the Buell and handled great. Dyna needs help. There are several companies like TrueTrack or Spruthe Engineering that make stabilizers for Dyna's. I just installed True Track yesterday, so I'm still in experimenting stages, but it feels good. I'm gonna do few more things as cash and time allows, then take to Jennings for a track day.
I love FXRs and someday will own another one, but it will be in addition to the Dyna.
The older FL is not an option for me. Too big and heavy AND has same handling issues.

 

Keep a close watch over later FXD Super Glides, they don't have the superior suspension or twin front discs of the earlier FXDX and FXDXT. Of the FXRs, the FXRS had twin front discs. Got an FXDXT, but I could fancy an FXR with a monster motor....